NAUTICAL NOTES. 251 



Mannar South Bar Anchorage lays in from 2 to 3 fathoms of water : the latter depth is found 

 3 miles from the shore. The bottom is very shelving : the 2-fathom line is fairly close in. about seven 

 cables from the beach. 



The only mark in making South Bar is one recently erected by Mr. Stevenson, the late Assistant 

 Government Agent of Mannar. 



There are no port marks visible at South Bar. One has onlj'' the mark referred to above, which 

 is a post 30 feet high painted alternate black and white. It is situated at the sea end of tlie South Bar 

 road. Vankah lighthouse makes a good cross bearing with this mark. 



The anchorage is only available for smalU craft, which unload where the South Bar road ends at 

 the beach. Dhoneys alone are able to across the bar. 'V\Tien making Mannar anchorage from the south, 

 Talaimannar Point (which is very conspicuous) bearing north leads clear of the north-west extremity 

 of the VankaU reef. The black and white post described above may be steered for when bearing east. 



3. — Reefs and Shoais. 



Bar Reef is fittingly so called, as it Ues at right angles to the coast line immediately outside Dutch 

 Bay, and at the southern extremity of the area imder lease. 



The reef is exposed to the full force of the south-west monsoon, and doubtless accoimts for the 

 segregation of sand and the sandy elevation on Karativu north of the Bar reef, M'liich it shelters. The 

 elevation occurs north of where the new channel has formed referred to under " Anchorages, Dutch Bay," 

 and has an approximate elevation of 12 feet. The reef protects a considerable sea area north as well as 

 Karativu Island, north of the sandy elevation mentioned. The passage between the reef and Karativu 

 is not safe for other than small craft, as sandy shoals form, and the bottom is very imeven. 



The reef is formed of three coral patches, the south-west patch being the most extensive, and 

 lying east and west. The other coral patches occur one on the north and one on the east. The three 

 patches (all of which dry at low water) form a triangle, the base being to the south. The intervening 

 space has patches of living coral in deep water, the coral nearly reaching the surface in places. 



A striking feature about this reef is that, although it forms a natural barrier and breakwater, the 

 sea, however rough, never breaks on it. In the height of the monsoon it is invisible, except at low water, 

 when the coral can be seen, but there is no breaking sea. This particular characteristic is shared by the 

 Vankali reef, and is accoimted for by the coral extending out into deep water. A breaking sea only occurs 

 where the coral grows and terminates in shallow water. The Bar reef in rough as in fine weather is 

 invisible, except at low tide ; consequently, as it lies in deep water, it is dangerous to approach. To 

 obviate this two iron beacons have been erected, one on the south-west extremity, the other on the 

 south-east. 



The reef covers an area of about 1 square mile, and is formed principally of Turhinaria crater, 

 which grows in dense masses , and which makes it aU the more surprising that such a solid barrier does 

 not cause a broken sea. The position of the reef has been found to be slightly different to that on the 

 original chart. The reef has been re-charted, and the position of the beacons on it are now sho^m on the 

 new chart. Dutch Bay beacon bearing east leads clear of the southern end of the Bar reef. 



Karativu Shoal is a sandy shoal running north from the northern extremity of Karativu island. 

 It narrows as it goes north, and deepens (which depression marks the channel across the shoal for vessels 

 to Marichchukaddi drawing less than 18 feet). It then shoals again and broadens, terminating abruptly 

 10 miles north, where it deepens suddenly from 3 to 6 fathoms. The northern extremity is called the 

 Shoal Buoy Position, and was marked at one time by an iron beacon, which, however, owing to the sandy 

 nature of the bottom, did not withstand the strength of the south-west monsoon, and now lays at the 

 bottom. The fallen beacon is buoyed when inspection work is going on, as the position affords a good 

 southern mark. Deep di-aught vessels would need to round north of this position when approaching 

 Marichchukaddi . 



